Marine Lost at Sea After Falling From USS Iwo Jima
In this image provided by the US Navy, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima sits pier side in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, Dec. 11, 2025. (U.S. Navy via AP)
U.S. Marine Declared Dead After Falling Overboard from USS Iwo Jima; Separate Navy Collision Reported
A 21-year-old U.S. Marine has been declared dead after falling overboard from the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean Sea earlier this month, the Marine Corps announced.
Lance Cpl. Chukwuemeka E. Oforah, a rifleman from Florida assigned to 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines at Camp Lejeune, went over the side of the ship on the evening of Feb. 7 while deployed with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
A multi-day, multi-service search-and-rescue effort followed. Officials said five Navy ships, a rigid-hull inflatable boat, rescue swimmers, and 10 aircraft from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force searched the area around the clock before the effort was suspended on Feb. 10. Oforah was later declared deceased.
“We are all grieving alongside the Oforah family,” said Col. Tom Trimble, commanding officer of the 22nd MEU. “The loss of Lance Cpl. Oforah is deeply felt across the entire Navy-Marine Corps team. He will be profoundly missed, and his dedicated service will not be forgotten.”
The circumstances surrounding how Oforah fell overboard remain under investigation. The Iwo Jima continues operations in the Caribbean as part of an ongoing U.S. military presence in the region.
In a separate incident, two Navy vessels operating in the Caribbean collided during a routine replenishment-at-sea mission. The guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun and the fast combat support ship USNS Supply made contact while sailing side-by-side to transfer fuel and supplies.
Two sailors sustained minor injuries and were reported in stable condition. Both ships were able to continue sailing safely. An investigation into the cause of the collision is underway.
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